Red and Blue
by Saddith
Summary: This is a story about two young boys with a difficult relationship slowly starting to fall in love with each other. Sokka x Zuko modern AU
1. Chapter 1

This is a story about Zuko and Sokka, two boys that loath each other. Or do they?

This story is basically a fluffy romantic comedy set in a modern AU.

Warning: Will eventually contain Sokka x Zuko yaoi/lemons/smut. If you don't like it, don't read.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: Last airbender or any of the characters.

I hope you like it :D

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**Ice and Flame**

The mall was crowded. Zuko tried to push his way through the growing mass to keep up with his younger sister Azula and her group of friends. Their father Ozai had ordered Zuko to accompany the girls to make sure that everything went well and that the girls were driven home safely after the concert was over. Zuko had escorted the group to a popular mall two towns over because the popular singing duo, "Ice and Flame" were performing. The mall had extended their opening hours to host the show the popular singing group was giving their fans. Unfortunately that meant this could go on well into the night.

During the performance Zuko went searching for a place to wait until the show was over without having to actually watch the repulsive duo prancing around on stage. Being forced to listen was torture enough. The girls were jumping and cheering in the back of the crowd as the duo hopped around on stage. Zuko made sure he could still see the group of girls from his hideout before he picked up his phone and started playing a mindless game trying to keep his mind occupied.

Zuko was bored. He hated the music and he hated being bossed around by his father. Five more months and he would start college and could finally move in to the room that his uncle Iroh was saving for him above his teashop. But the best thing about it was that he wouldn't have to babysit his little sister every hour of every day. He fantasized about how he would decorate the place and imagined the sweet silence he sorely needed.

He quickly snapped out of his train of thought when a young man's voice made it to his ears through the noisy crowd.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself as much as I am" a slim brown-haired boy determined.

"Huh?" Zuko glanced up at the boy with a surprised look in his face.

"You're hiding right? ..My _friends _made me come watch this piece of crap. I'm trying to endure back here, but it's getting pretty tough.. I _hate _pop music."

"Well.. Yeah."

"Sooo.. Who forced you to hide out here with me?"

"My sister."

The brown-haired boy continued trying to make conversation while Zuko made his best trying to get his point across. He was _not interested _in making friends or having a polite conversation. He just wanted this to be over so he could go home and go to sleep.

Zuko yawned loudly looking down at his phone.

"Oh, sorry. I never told you my name. I'm Sokka. What's yours?"

Zuko sighed. "I'm not here to make friends, ok?"

The slim boy looked greatly offended and opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. He looked down at the floor, took a few breaths and turned around. He started walking towards the crowd, trying to locate his friends.

Zuko continued to play some other mindless game hoping the concert would be over soon.

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><p>The last song started to fade and the crowd cheered at a deafening level. Zuko stepped out from his hideout looking over at the last place his sister and her friends had stood shaking their bodies to the rhythm of the music. The girls were nowhere to be seen. Zuko pushed through the crowd searching for the group. After about five minutes he started getting worried. The fans were beginning to jostle and making their way to the exits making Zuko feel a sting of panic. He picked up his phone and dialed his sister's number.<p>

_Beep…Beep…Beep.. "Hey cutie! Azula heeeere. I can't take your call right now but please leave a message but I probably won't call you back, haha!" Beeep._

"Azula! Mai! Ty Lee!" Zuko called out for the girls hoping they would be in hearing distance. "Azuuula, where are you?"

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><p>When Sokka realized the last song was coming to an end he let out a sigh of relief. His gang, a group of four, including his girlfriend, were jumping around in ecstasy, begging for the duo to play one last song. After a couple of minutes the cheering started to fade as the fans realized the concert was over and the duo was done for the night. The group of friends started heading towards the place where Sokka first started talking to Zuko. There were fewer people over there and they all wanted to discuss the concert without having to yell at each other. Well.. Not all of them.. Sokka just wanted to leave. He could barely keep his eyes open. He looked down at his phone and broke out in a loud yawn when he realized it was already past 1 AM.<p>

"Hey guys, can we discuss this in the car? Or maybe you would like to sleep here? Because that's what's going to happen if I don't find a bed reeeeeal soon."

Sokka was the only one with a driver's license and he tried to take advantage of the situation.

"You've been complaining all night!" A pale young girl with black hair cut right above her shoulders cried out. She crossed her arms with an annoyed expression.

"I agree with Toph, can't you just let us enjoy this? You're such a buzzkill Sokka.." His sister Katara frowned.

Sokka didn't try to argue. His focus was pulled towards a young man with a pink scar on his face calling out through the crowd. It was the spiteful boy from before.

Sokka's younger friend Aang looked curious and asked, "Should we ask him what's wrong?"

"No, I think he can handle himself." Sokka replied with poison dripping from his lips.

Aang ignored him and started walking towards the older boy with the scar.

"Hey you! You with the scar!" Zuko turned around with his fist raised, looking stressed and aggravated. "Are you looking for someone?" The younger boy had a concerned look on his face.

At first, Zuko thought someone was trying to offend him, maybe even pick a fight. When he saw the young boys expression he relaxed a bit, but he didn't want any help from a little runt. He felt a drop of sweat running down his forehead and took some deep breaths. "I don't need any help". He walked away, glancing over the remaining groups of people still in the mall.

"I'll help you anyway. I heard you call for someone named Azula. I assume that's who you're looking for." The young boy gave Zuko a big smile and turned around with his hands cupped around his mouth. "Azula, AZULA!"

Zuko gave the boy an annoyed grin but figured it wouldn't hurt having the boy helping him with the search.

"Guys, we need your help! He lost his friend, Azula. Can you help us look? How does she look anyways? It's not easy looking for someone when you don't know how they look."

The gang gathered around Zuko and Aang. Zuko gave out a sigh and gave a quick description of Azula and her two girlfriends.

They all started to scatter, looking for the girls. All except Sokka, who was still annoyed by the boy's earlier remarks. He just stood quietly, scrolling down on his phone, ignoring all the commotion.

Eventually Katara spotted someone who matched the description of one of the girls.

"Hey you with the braid! Your friend is looking for you."

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><p>Aang joined up with Zuko while the search went on. He glanced up at the tall, muscular, dark haired boy now and again, with a curious expression on his face. After a while Zuko made a halt and turned to face the younger boy.<p>

"What?" Zuko was sure he was looking at his scar.

Aang would have felt embarrassed if he had some manners, but he just smiled and asked, "Why do you look so angry? You shouldn't keep your feelings bottled up, you know. That's not healthy."

Zuko was surprised by the boy's awkward question. "What is it to you? I'm just frustrated; I want to find my sister."

Aang shrugged and started talking again as if the conversation wasn't at all weird and inappropriate.

"I don't know why but you strike me as troubled. Not just because you've lost your sister. I'm just trying to help."

"I already told you, I don't need any help." Zuko turned away from Aang and the two boys resumed the search in quiet.

In all honesty, Zuko was grateful the gang was helping him look for his sister and her friends. If it wasn't for the irritated boy he had insulted earlier refusing to participate in the search he might have expressed his gratitude but for some reason the petulant boy muffled him.

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><p>Ty Lee turned her head towards the tanned girl and rushed to meet her. "Wooow, your hair is so pretty. How do you manage to get it so glossy?" She stroked the older girl's thick brown hair without any shame. Katara looked at her with a confused expression. "Oh, right. Where is Zuko? Azula and Mai are over there." She waved her hand to signal the two girls to join her and Katara.<p>

"I'm Katara. I just met Zuko. He is looking for you. Come with me." All of the girls properly introduced themselves, and then they walked together across the now almost deserted mall to meet up with the rest of the gang.

Aang and Zuko stood over at one of the entrances, peeking their heads out trying to catch a glimpse of the girls when Azula sent a provoking comment while smacking Zuko playfully in the back of his head. "Zuzu, dad won't be happy about you abandoning us." She gave him a smirk.

"That's not true! You're not telling dad! If you tell dad I'm going to…. I'm going to…" Zuko's face was slowly turning red from frustration.

Azula just kept smirking, her friends stayed quiet.

"Settle down, you found each other. You should head home. It's getting really late. Lord knows I need to get some sleep. It was nice meeting y'all." Suki grabbed her boyfriend's arm and dragged Sokka towards the exit. Sokka's eyes met Zuko's for a brief moment before he was dragged out of the mall with the gang following behind them. Zuko just stood there with a dismal expression.

_Ungrateful dumbass, he didn't even thank us.._

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><p>AN: I had a really fun time writing this! I hope you liked it! Chapter 2 will be posted as soon as possible!

Please Review but keep in mind that this is my first fanfic so please be nice :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**The new boy**

_6 months later_

Iroh sniffed his cup of tea. Green tea with a hint of ginger and lemon, his specialty. He felt calm and relaxed. Another workday was about to start, with a lot of new faces and a lot of yummie tea.

His nephew, Zuko, had moved into the room above his teashop a few months earlier and Iroh gave him a part-time job serving his costumers in the shop. It wasn't easy for Zuko getting used to the new environment and Iroh tried to help him out any way he could.

He munched on a cracker as he let his mind drift of. He thought about Yue, a nice well-mannered girl who always did a good job. She had been forced to quit her job at the teashop because her family was moving to another town. Iroh sighed at the thought. He had to go through quite a hassle to find a replacement but eventually a nice high school senior showed up offering to give a hand. Iroh was openly excited about the new boy starting work at the shop today.

Zuko was sitting in the back room across the table from Iroh eating his breakfast with tired eyes. Studying at college level wasn't easy, and he got even more tired from facing some of the rude costumers in his uncle's shop. His uncle was trying to teach him patience but unfortunately it wasn't Zuko's strong suit. He tried to manage though; he had a lot of respect for his uncle and felt incredibly grateful for all of his help and support. Today was a Saturday and Iroh was preparing for the shop to open. Zuko watched him sweep the floor and at exactly 11.30 AM he unlocked the shop entrance and flipped the sign to say "OPEN". The new boy was arriving soon. Zuko had to tend to the shop while Iroh taught him the basics in the kitchen. Zuko sighed. He didn't have the patience to get to know someone new. He barely got along with Yue and it had taken _a lot _of Zuko's energy to make that happen. It was something about her "niceness" that made him irritated. Well, she was gone now..

Zuko greeted the first costumers with respect and took their order. He went to tell his uncle to start preparing two hot brownies. Iroh had a huge smile when he met Zuko's gaze. Behind him was a figure that somehow seemed familiar to Zuko. Before he could start to ponder Iroh snatched the new boy's shirt and pulled him forward.

"This is Sokka. He's the new guy."

Sokka blinked several times before realizing who he was standing in front of._It was the rude scarred boy from the concert! _He stuttered when he greeted Zuko. "N-nice to meet you.."

Zuko immediately recognized the boy. His face hardened. _It's the annoying blabbering boy from the concert… _"I'm Zuko. You better not screw anything up." Zuko left abruptly to greet some new customers.

Iroh didn't seem to notice the tension between the boys and just threw his head back laughing, proclaiming that that's how Zuko behaved when he liked someone. Sokka wasn't won over. _Working here was going to be a nightmare.._

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><p>Sokka sighed at the feeling of the hot water massaging his tense muscles. The afternoon shower was incredibly welcoming after his challenging first day at work. He was leaning his slim, tall body against the wall, burrowing his face in his hands. The workday had made him exhausted with all the things he had to learn and Zuko's attitude didn't make things easier. Sokka tried to figure out what his problem was, but he never came to a good conclusion. Iroh was nice though, and very welcoming. Hopefully it would get easier in time, but Sokka didn't count on it.<p>

He stepped out of the shower, covering himself with a blue towel as he opened the bathroom door and stepped out in the hallway. He was walking towards his bedroom when he heard a shriek.

"Sokkaaaa, I missed you!"

Sokka almost dropped his towel as he swung around searching for the source of the sound. As he turned around he saw a figure jump forward and before he could react Suki had jumped him and swung her arms around his neck in a tight grip. She leaned in and pressed her lips against Sokka's. She pulled back with a smile.

"Are you surprised?"

Sokka let out a surprised moan when Suki kissed him. _Why was she home already?_ He smiled when he realized how happy he was to see her. She was his girlfriend after all. They hadn't seen each other in two months. Suki had been on vacation with her family camping somewhere in the mountains. They weren't supposed to be back until next week. He guessed the vacation ended early for some reason.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be climbing a mountain somewhere?"

"I prefer hugging my wet naked boyfriend" Suki gave him a smirk.

Heat rose to Sokka's face and he frowned as he felt a bit uncomfortable with Suki's sudden outburst. He broke from the embrace and excused himself before he entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him. _Why would she say something like that? _He felt his face blush all over again with embarrassment and annoyance. He heard Suki laughing through the door.

"You're such a prude!"

He didn't respond to her accusation as he dressed himself quickly in a pair of gray jeans, a light-blue T-shirt and a black zip-hoodie. He drove his fingers through his hair and gathered his hair in a small ponytail in the back of his head. He secured it with a small elastic band. He opened his bedroom door and joined Suki in the kitchen where she was joking around with his younger sister.

"How was your first day at work?" Katara asked with genuine curiosity.

"You won't believe me when I tell you who else works there! Do you remember that scarred boy from the concert? The incredibly rude one… He's the owner's nephew!"

Katara frowned. "Rude? He wasn't rude to me. I actually thought he was pretty cute." She covered her blushed grin with her hand. "I might have to come visit you at work sometime."

Suki threw back her head and laughed at the sight of Sokka's chocked expression. In an attempt to tease Sokka she backed up Katara. "He was pretty cute."

Sokka felt his face turning red. "No way in hell I'm introducing you to him. No sister of mine is going to date a freak like that." His words were covered with venom.

Katara ignored her brother. "I wondered how he got his scar…" She drifted off while fantasizing about different scenarios.

"Maybe he's a thug?" Suki giggled along with Katara.

"God, what's wrong with you two?" Sokka turned around, opening the refrigerator trying to find something eatable. He pulled out a tupperware filled with lasagna and grabbed three plates. _Was this day ever going to end?_

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><p>Zuko felt nothing but irritation for the rest of the day. The new boy had handled himself well around the customers but he was even more annoying than Yue! He never kept his mouth shut! How could anyone expect Zuko to do a good job with a nagging brat following him around everywhere?<p>

He let out a sigh when he realized he had to endure the same annoying experience all over again tomorrow. He grabbed the only fruit from the bowl standing on the small table in his room and took a small bite out of the red apple. He knew he needed to start studying but he couldn't stop thinking about the new boy. _Why was he invading his mind to this extent?_

He shook his head and cracked open a can of soda while heading over to his desk. He opened his laptop and put on some music trying to find some distraction in his books. Maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad.

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><p>Sokka showed up early for work. He felt more confident as he had worked on a couple of ways to try and loosen the angry boy up. He figured that even if he didn't like him, they had to at least get along if they were to work beside each other.<p>

Zuko hadn't showed up yet and Sokka went through his bag of goodies that he had brought with him in hopes to get Zuko to warm up to him a bit. He had overheard Zuko talking to his uncle about his new Nintendo console. Sokka had stopped by a game shop before work, purchasing a couple of second hand games that the clerk had recommended. Zuko had to be impressed by his effort. Maybe work wouldn't have to be a pain after all. He didn't want to leave out his boss, after all, he was really nice and patient with him and Sokka was thankful for the opportunity he was given. That's why he also brought a jar of cookies his grandmother had baked a couple days before. He was hoping that was enough to show his appreciation.

He put the cookie jar down on the table in the back room and nodded towards the jar with a smile, showing Iroh the cookies were meant for him.

"I wanted to show my appreciation for your patience with me, Mr. Kasai."

With a heartfelt laughter the large older man put a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "I'm never going to regret hiring you, right?" He showed a cookie in his mouth with a chuckle.

When Zuko entered the back room Sokka and his uncle were still having a laugh and didn't notice him at first. He put his lunchbox in the fridge trying to avoid them. He didn't want anyone to notice the bags under his eyes. Another sleepless night. When he saw the two games on the table he raised his eyebrows and his curiosity took over. He grabbed one of them and started examining the casing. Sokka looked nervous as he opened his mouth to say something.

"I heard you like Nintendo wii. I thought you might like them." Sokka looked away as his face was turning bright red. "I just thought we should bury the hatchet. I thought-"

"Thanks, but you can keep them. I've already got those games." Zuko lied just to shut the boy up. He talked way too much. He turned around, grabbing a broom on the way out.

Sokka felt like his head was about to explode. Why did Zuko have to be so rude all the time?

_I hate that fucking jerk.._

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><p>AN: Hope you liked it. Please review if you have any feedback, wishes or ideas :)


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the long wait. But here is chapter 3 for y'all to enjoy! Hope you like it!

Note: Thoughts are written in italic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The last airbender or any of the characters.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

**Awkwardness and dating**

Three weeks passed and Zuko and Sokka had managed to get along at work by avoiding each other. Today wasn't any different. Katara was picking Sokka up after work. She'd finally got her driver's license and wanted to celebrate. They were supposed to meet up at Suki's house; her parents were apparently not at home. She arrived early and decided to wait for Sokka inside the shop. She had been dying to try Iroh's famous tea anyways. Why not do it know?

She parked the car outside the shop and walked up to the entrance and pushed open the heavy doors. She was engulfed by the warm atmosphere and felt a little jealous over the fact that Sokka got to work in such a cozy place. Her part-time job as an office assistant seemed dull and boring in comparison.

She looked around and found herself standing face to face with a tall boy with a pink scar marking the side of his face. His untamed black mane fell carelessly around his stern face and when he moved she could tell he had quite a muscular upper body underneath his brown button up-shirt.

She looked away as she felt her light-brown face turning pinker by the second.

_I don't remember him being this handsome at the concert._

"Hello miss." Zuko bowed down and continued. "Welcome to 'Iro's teashop'. Table for one?"

"Uhm.." Katara coughed to try and clear her throat before answering. "I-I'm.. well, yes. I'm waiting for Sokka."

"Ah. Follow me." Zuko turned around and showed Katara to a small table near the kitchen entrance. "Can I get you anything while you wait?" Zuko asked politely. She might be that annoying brat's sister but that didn't mean he was going to abandon his responsibilities as a waiter.

"Green tea, please." Katara said in a low voice. Zuko marched off and she was left at the table with cheeks the color of cherry cake.

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><p><em>Meanwhile, in the kitchen.<em>

"What a cute girl that just walked in!" Iroh chuckled. "She kind of looks like you, Sokka."

"Huh?" Sokka walked over to the door and glanced out the small window. He quickly spotted Katara sitting at the table closest to the kitchen door. "Yeah, that's my sister Katara."

"I figured. Are you two doing something after work?"

"We're having a little party. She's celebrating that she finally managed to get her license." Sokka saw Zuko placing a small cup in front of Katara and it disturbed Sokka that he didn't leave right away. He saw their lips moving, Katara was nodding and_laughing_. How could anything that Zuko was saying be considered as funny?

He saw Zuko turn around and start pacing towards the kitchen door. Sokka quickly turned away and continued sweeping the floor.

Zuko entered the kitchen with his normal stern expression. When he spoke Sokka involuntarily flinched, not ready for the words that escaped his lips.

"Your sister is waiting for you. Is it okay if I join you tonight?" Zuko didn't look at Sokka even once while speaking. Instead he started occupying his hands with the overflowing garbage cans, emptying them.

Sokka felt his face burn with annoyance but he tried to keep his cool so that Zuko wouldn't notice how his behavior affected him.

"Whatever." Sokka said in a bored tone.

_What was he up to? Did Katara invite him? HIM? After all I told her about him? I'm going to beat the shit out of her tomorrow.._

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><p>The whole night had been a pain. Sokka had to endure Katara's embarrassing flirting attempts, Aang's annoying comments about it laced with jealousy obvious to everyone but himself and of course there was <em>the incident<em>.

About that..

Sokka had gone to fetch a drink and when he was about to plant his ass back on the couch Suki had accidently bumped into him causing him to fall flat across Zuko's lap.

He spilled his drink all over himself, and over Zuko and Katara who sat next to him. His face had turned bright red and the worst part of it all was that he had seemed to become paralyzed by the awkward situation. He had just lain there, frozen.

Katara had panicked and run off to get towels and Zuko was surprisingly quiet. He hadn't said a word, even though Sokka didn't move.

When Katara finally got back with the towels Sokka had snapped out of his paralysis and jumped up to his feet. He mumbled his apologies while drying his face and chest. The weirdest part of it all was that when he dared to look over at Zuko's direction he had noticed a slight blush on Zuko's cheeks and he seemed to have lost his ability to speak for the remainder of evening. He actually didn't say a word until Katara had mentioned something about being tired.

Zuko had gotten to his feet rather quick and offered to drive her home. Due to the reason for celebrating she politely declined, wanting to drive home herself. But she grabbed his hand anyway and they walked out on the porch together. What happened between them out there still remains a secret. Apparently Katara thought that they had shared a _moment_ and the whole thing was making Sokka angry. As much as his sister could be a pain in the ass he wanted her to be happy and dating Zuko was not going to make anyone happy. As far as Sokka was concerned almost anybody would be better dating material than Zuko.

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><p>"Where are you going?" Sokka glanced up from his books at his well-dressed sister standing at the door.<p>

"I have a date."

"With who?!" Sokka's eyes widened and he felt himself getting annoyed. He was pretty sure what the answer would be.

Katara was already halfway out the door when she turned around with a frown and said: "Zuko." Before walking out and closing the door.

Sokka growled and roughly yanked his phone from his pocket. He scrolled down his contacts to find Suki and pressed the call-button.

Suki: "Hey sweetie. What's up?"

Sokka: "Can you come over?"

Suki: "Did something happen? You sound upset?"

Sokka: "It's nothing. I'm just tired. How about it?"

Suki: Okay.. sure. I'll be there in half an hour."

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><p>After playing on Sokka's Xbox for a while the two teenagers were now sprawled out on Sokka's bed, playing with their phones. They didn't talk much, or paid much attention to each other at all. Sokka was happy just being in someone's company. He didn't want to be alone with his own thoughts, not tonight.<p>

He could hang out with his dad, but he didn't need his prying or the way he could see right through him. Suki was the perfect person for his needs. She wasn't pushy, needy or in his face. She was happy just to be close to him. Or so he thought.

He felt a hand on his thigh and he looked up to meet Suki's gaze. With a wide grin she traced her hand slowly upwards. Sokka's heartrate increased when he felt the warmth of her hand through his jeans. It felt really nice.

He caught her lips with his own and their tongues met in a hungry battle for dominance. Suki moaned on his lips and traced her hands over his toned stomach. She broke from the kiss and stared back on Sokka with an almost feral look in her eyes.

Sokka's breath caught in his throat when Suki suddenly swung her leg over his waist to straddle him. She wasted no time and started pulling his belt trying to get it open.

"I've wanted to do this for so long." She breathed with her eyes focused on his crotch.

Sokka got a confused look on his face. "This? Didn't we do this last week?"

"Not this." Suki said in a sultry voice as she began unbuttoning his pants.

Sokka's breathing became frantic as he thought about what she was saying.

_She couldn't mean…?_

Of course they had done a bunch of stuff. Blow jobs, petting and stuff like that. But they had never gone all the way and when he thought about it, it had always been him ending their activities before anything like _that_ would happen.

From what he'd heard from his friends it was usually the girl who wanted to wait but in this case it was Sokka who didn't feel ready. _How are you supposed to know when it's the right time, anyways? _Sokka certainly didn't know. It always felt…. _wrong_.

He couldn't explain it. It was just… never the right time. He wanted it to be special, passionate. Although he felt very strong feelings for Suki he never felt any passion when he was with her. He'd never felt like that with anyone.

Before he could get any words out she continued, with her eyes still locked on his private parts, now only covered by his boxers as she had yanked his jeans down.

"I can't wait any longer." She was panting now. "You're such a tease, you know that right?"

Sokka swallowed hard and felt himself almost starting to panic. "I..I… can't."

"What?! We've been together for almost two years! I've touched you in numerous ways, but you still won't have sex with me?" Suki flailed her arms and almost shouted out the words.

"Suki.. I'm sorry." He said, avoiding her burning gaze. The bed suddenly felt lighter as she jumped of off him and grabbed her purse. Without another word she stormed out of his bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

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><p>Two days passed and no word from Suki. Sokka had tried to call and sent several texts but she wouldn't answer. He decided to leave her alone and give her some space. If he knew Suki at all, he was sure that she would forgive him.<p>

Sokka was on his way to work and when he walked in and saw Zuko he remembered what happened the other night, when his sister obviously had spent some alone time with his unpleasant coworker. He couldn't stop the word from spilling any more than he could find a cure for cancer.

"How was your date?" He said in a tone that didn't hide his annoyance.

"Why do you want to know?" Zuko glared at Sokka for a short moment and then turned back to face the bread on the counter which he was preparing.

"It's my sister! I can't believe you asked her out."

"You can't believe that someone would ask your sister out on a date? That's just mean. Besides, it wasn't me who asked her out."

"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Sokka's face was boiling and he clenched his fists so hard his nails started to dig deep into his palms.

"She asked me, you fucktard!" Zuko shouted. He walked up to stand face to face with Sokka and you could almost reach out and touch the tension.

_I'm going to fucking kill you!_

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><p>AN: Cliffhanger, yey! Please review J


	4. Chapter 4

This chapter starts with Zuko and Katara's date that took place a few days before the two boys started arguing in the tea shop. You'll find out how their argument turns out later in the chapter :)

I want you to know that I love all of my lovely readers :*

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The last airbender, or any of the characters!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Confusion<strong>

_A few days earlier_

Zuko straitened his crimson shirt before picking up his phone to call Katara and inform her that he was standing outside. Before he could press the call-button he saw the front door of the small white house open, revealing a tanned, slim 16-year old girl. She wore a nice long sleeved turquoise dress that ended right above her knees. Her silky chestnut hair was pulled up in a tight knot.

She was pretty, real pretty. Zuko politely complimented her when she took the seat next to him in the worn out black Camaro. The sudden pink tinting her cheeks made him snicker which earned him a light punch on his arm. He just countered with a chuckle and started the engine.

When they arrived at the restaurant Zuko made his best to act like a gentleman, all to Katara's delight. He even pulled her chair out and gestured for her to sit down. With a hand covering her mouth Katara giggled happily and sat down.

Due to both of them being students the restaurant wasn't very flashy, but it was still a nice place, albeit quite small. Only five tables could fit in the snug restaurant and all of them were occupied with what looked like couples. Restrained snuggling, everyday chitchat and even subdued bickering filled the room with sounds and it made it somewhat difficult to maintain a pleasant volume on their conversation. Katara didn't seem to mind though.

After the waiter took their order their mindless chitchat kept going, as if out of habit. Zuko found the young girl easy to be around, it almost felt as if he had known her for much longer than he had. When she suddenly smirked at one of his remarks he realized that he had seen that particular smirk before. He couldn't quite place it; all he knew was that the look on her face made him smile like a five-year old girl on her birthday.

The feeling in his cheeks reminded him of the fact that he rarely smiled, and the thought made him feel depressed. He sighed and placed his chin to rest in his hands with his elbows firmly placed on the table. Finally their food arrived.

They ate in almost silence only because they were both really hungry and the food tasted much better than they expected. The only words they spoke had to do with the food they were shamelessly stuffing in their mouths. When the dessert was placed on the table they both laughed over the amount of food they had ate, and were about to continue eating.

"Hmm." Zuko unintentionally slipped while poking at his chocolate cake with a small fork.

"What?" Katara quickly asked, eager to know what Zuko was thinking about.

"Huh? Oh. I was just thinking..." He couldn't contain his laughter as he continued. "..that you kind of remind me of Sokka, the way you were stuffing your face before."

Katara gasped and tried to look scandalized but failed miserably and started giggling.

"My brother doesn't have any shame when it comes to food. Or any restraint for that matter." Katara said between small chuckles.

"I've noticed." Zuko agreed with a nod.

"Suki, his girlfriend, says she thinks it's charming. Can you believe it?" She snorted with a small smile.

"I can." He said, drifting of for a second before he realized what he had said. "I—I mean… It's charming when you do it!"

The sight of Zuko's horrified expression and bright red cheeks made Katara clutch her stomach and start laughing uncontrollably. When she finally gathered herself she couldn't resist teasing him some more and said, "Whatever you say, Liberace."

Zuko gasped.

Still horrified he quickly said, "Do you want to taste my dessert?" while holding out a piece of cake attached to the end of the small fork. It was an obvious attempt to change the subject but Katara didn't seem to mind and looked up at Zuko with anticipation.

And there it was, that smirk again. And then it hit him. That was how Sokka looked when he was thrilled about something. The two siblings looked almost identical in a moment as such, Zuko realized, and he was horrified by the realization that he loved the sight of that beguiling expression. He decided to ignore his thoughts and proceeded to feed Katara the piece of cake he had been holding out. The moment it touched her lips she closed her eyes and let out a blissful, almost sultry sigh. Zuko tried his best to determine if it could be considered as a perfectly normal reaction to a piece of cake, or if she was putting on a show for him. He had never been very good at reading other people, especially girls.

The near seductive gaze he received shortly after definitely proved the latter and his own reaction to his realization confused him profoundly. He felt… he… felt… _nothing_.

This shook him to quite an extent due to the fact that he had been sure about his feelings for Katara. He had been sure he liked her a lot; he found her attractive and sweet and he most certainly felt comfortable around her. So why didn't her advances make him feel anything _in that way_?

* * *

><p><em>Back to the present<em>.

"She asked me, you fucktard!"

Everything that Zuko had did (or hadn't done) the past weeks flashed through Sokka's mind. Even their first encounter found its way into his mind. Every snarky remark, every condescending glare and the fact that he, for no apparent reason, ignored him in a way that made him feel so incredibly small. It made him feel like Zuko somehow found him unworthy of being in his presence.

And now… Now he was dating his sister. His sister! He wasn't good enough to deserve a proper greeting when he came into work, but his sister was apparently good enough to indulge in his free time. Every cell in his body wanted to lash out and hurt Zuko for making him feel like his mere existence was an inconvenience to him. And the worst part was that he didn't know why.

"Why?" He almost screamed the word.

Zuko's anger faded a bit when he heard the amount of frustration behind the word. He got the sense that Sokka wasn't just talking about the date. With a puzzled look on his face he repeated the word with a questioning tone. "Why?"

Sokka had no way to stop the words from spilling. He was frustrated, angry and _sick of it all_. He was sick of being treated like a little shit for no good reason and he was determined that this would end _now. _

"Why are you constantly tormenting me? What did I ever do to you? I.. I can't take it anymore! I quit!" He didn't hesitate when he spun around and walked away. He was almost at the door when he felt something pull on his shirt.

"Wait…"

Zuko's voice was different. He almost sounded... sad. The confusion made Sokka turn around and he almost jumped back when he saw Iroh standing behind the raven-haired boy that was still holding a tight grip on his shirt.

"You will do no such thing, young man."

Zuko let out a surprised gasp when he heard his uncle's voice and turned around to face him.

"You two, my office, now." Iroh said with a stern voice that held a hint of disappointment. His gaze made it apparent that he would not take no for an answer and the two boys silently obeyed and followed the old man into a small room in the back.

Sokka didn't even know he had an office. The room wasn't as warm and inviting as the rest of the shop, but it definitely had "Iroh" written all over it. Even though the office only had room for a small desk and two chairs, the old man had managed to decorate the walls with enough family photos to fill a small album. The floor was covered by a deep red carpet and small fragranced candles were placed on the desk next to some piles of neatly stacked papers.

"Sit." He nodded in the direction of the chairs. When the boys were seated he continued. "I will not let you out until you two have talked this out." His gaze was locked on Zuko. "Don't disappoint me." He sighed and walked towards the door.

"But... the shop?" Zuko said in a faint attempt to get out of the office. Iroh closed the door without a word and they heard him lock it from the outside.

A surge of panic shot through Sokka like lightning and he swung his head back and forth as if he was searching for a way out. Maybe he was. This situation made him extremely uncomfortable but at the same time he felt a tiny bit of gratitude. Iroh wanted him there, and he wanted everyone to get along. Warmth spread through Sokka at the thought and it completely collided with the feelings he wanted to express. He didn't want to talk to Zuko, not at all, but there was nowhere to run, no way to avoid it. Sokka turned his head to face Zuko but before he could speak the scarred boy opened his mouth.

"I don't know why." His gaze was facing the floor and he squirmed in his chair.

Sokka was slightly trembling by the anger he felt. He used every ounce of self-control he had left to keep himself from punching Zuko right then and there. "You don't know? You don't know why you would treat someone like they're worth less than dogshit?" Sokka clenched his fists and felt his face turn bright red from all of the bottled up emotions pouring out.

"NO, I don't! But maybe.. Maybe it's because you're an annoying little shit?! I….I don't fucking know how to handle you. Y-you make me so…" Zuko meant to say that Sokka made him angry but the word that came out surprised both him and Sokka. "…confused."

Sokka's breath caught in his throat. He had been prepared to kick Zuko in the face, but now he couldn't bring himself to do it. _Confused? Why do I make him confused? _Sokka stared at Zuko in silence, waiting for an explanation to the sudden confession. Zuko looked surprised and frightened by his own words and resembled a lost puppy. Sokka almost felt sorry for him. Almost. After a few moments it was apparent that Zuko wouldn't elaborate and Sokka felt complied to break the silence.

"Erm.. I make you feel confused. In what way?" He said in a calm voice as all the anger had suddenly vanished to be replaced by his own confusing thoughts.

"All I know is that you annoy me. You talk too much." Zuko said with a frown while leaning his forehead against his hand.

"That didn't answer my question."

"It's just that… I don't know.. I can't explain it!" Zuko said in a frustrated tone while flailing his arms.

Sokka groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Just tell me!"

"Oh god.. Okay. Listen. I don't hate you. Not really. I don't know why I'm acting like the world's biggest douche around you, that's why I'm confused. Does that make any sense?" Zuko said with a frown.

"Not really, no. But it's okay."

"It's not okay. I'll try to treat you better in the future, but don't get your hopes up."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to talk too much."

Zuko's lips curved upwards into a smile. "Yeah, when pigs fly."

_Yeah, I should probably look out the windows when we get out of here, because there is no way in hell this just happened. Zuko is actually nice to me. Pigs must be flying._

* * *

><p>Next chapter is Zuko POV :D<p>

Reviews give me the energy I need to write :*


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